The legalese is heavy, and you can read a more detailed description here, but essentially, a motor carrier is the owner, leasee, licensee, or bailee of a vehicle that meets these requirements:
- If the vehicle’s frame has 3 or more axles that are more than 10,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
- Truck tractors
- Trailers and semitrailers, pole or pipe dollies, auxiliary dollies, and logging dollies used in combination with vehicles listed above (not including camp trailers, trailer coaches, and utility trailers)
- A combination of a motor truck with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds, while towing any trailer listed above, which exceeds 40 feet in length when coupled together
- A commercial motor vehicle with a GVWR of more than 26,000 pounds or a commercial motor vehicle of any GVWR towing trailers listed above with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds
- A vehicle, or a combination of vehicles, transporting hazardous materials for which the display of placards, a California hazardous materials transportation license, or a California hazardous waste transporter registration is required.
Certain vehicles are excluded from these regulations, like farm vehicles and firefighting equipment.